Regarding Harrison
Superstar sez his work was 'shaped by many hands'
This elevated status puts the AFI honor in a multiple role: it's a prestigious award, an annual TV special desperately in need of ratings help and a crucially important fund-raiser for the film school. That's more than enough hats for even Oscar to wear.
AFI's tribute to Harrison Ford at the BevHilton Thursday succeeded in the fund-raising department (a record-breaking figure was raised) and with exciting clips and stellar participants the telecast has a shot at ratings improvement.
However, the evening wasn't the thorough look at Ford's acting career an award with AFI's pedigree suggests.
How many times do you need to see him chased by that rolling boulder from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to know he works well in action sequences? More "Mosquito Coast" and less "Star Wars" would have made for a more balanced retrospective.
The evening kicked off with clips from the past 27 AFI dinners, which offered viewers the chance to watch the average age of the honorees drop by 30 years as the black-tie affair entered the mid-'90s. The '70s honorees included John Ford, James Cagney, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock. The past decade saw Dustin Hoffman, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Jack Nicholson.
Opening remarks came from AFI trustees chair Howard Stringer, and AFI director Jean Firstenberg made the presentation of the Franklin Schaffner alumni medal to the reclusive Terence Malick, which was accepted by George Stevens Jr. He said the director is "good with two or three people but not in a room with 1,200" and relayed the message "the interval between his films will grow shorter."
George Lucas kicked off the program, noting he gave Ford his big break in "American Graffiti," and saying the role, "accomplished a great deal in Harrison's career -- it took him right back to being a carpenter."
Other speakers included Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Anne Heche, Mike Nichols, Anne Archer, Daryl Hannah, David Schwimmer, Brad Pitt and Carrie Fisher, who got a laugh when she began her remarks by saying, "Hi, my name is Carrie and I'm an alcoholic. Sorry, wrong meeting. Actually, maybe not."
An interesting addition to this year's show, which is produced for the second time by George Schlatter, were the on-screen interviews with Ford that were shown after film clips. With the actor casually dressed and speaking in a relaxed tone, it added a warm, humanizing element to the evening.
One indication of Ford's popularity in the entertainment community (and his box-office clout) was the number of industry heavy-hitters in the room. Among them were UTA's Jim Berkus, Par's Sherry Lansing, MGM's Alex Yemenidjian, Sony's John Calley, Warner Bros.' Alan Horn, New Line's Mike DeLuca, Mo Ostin, Jack Valenti, Frank Mancuso, Jerry Perenchio, Bob Daly, Joe Roth, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and Mark Canton.
The evening topped off with Lucas and Spielberg presenting the award to Ford, who thanked Fred Roos, Theodore Bikel, Jerry Ayres and his agent/manager of 30 years Patricia McQueeney.
Looking down, reading from his notes and speaking in a subdued, at times almost inaudible voice, Ford said the "work you saw tonight was shaped by many hands, animated by many hearts. Much of what I get credit for here tonight is the result of collaboration with some of the best minds and kindest hearts in our business."
